PREVIEW: New York at Rochester

The New York Lizards take on the Rochester Rattlers in a rematch of Week 1 on Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Last time out:

New York: The Lizards fell 12-11 in overtime to the defending champion Chesapeake Bayhawks down in Annapolis Saturday. New York was down 10-5 after the third quarter before scoring six straight and took an 11-10 lead with 1:24 left to go in regulation. Unfortunately for them, Matt Mackrides scored to tie the game, then former Lizard Stephen Peyser ended the game in OT for the Bayhawks. Matt Striebel, Max Seibald, Stephen Mock and Rob Pannell all had two goals in the loss, while Drew Adams made 17 saves.

Rochester: The Rattlers shut down Boston in the first half as they allowed just one goal in the first 30 minutes on their way to an 8-7 win in their home opener. John Galloway was named Coca-Cola Player of the Game after making 11 saves, none bigger than the stop he made on Brent Adams to end the game. Rochester’s Mike Manley was named Warrior Defensive Player of the Week for his shut down work.

Three storylines:

X Marks the Spot: Face offs were one of the storylines last week for the Rattlers against Boston and for good reason. John Ortolani went 5-for-19 at the X, but the Rattlers still won the game. Meanwhile, Greg Gurelian dominated Chesapeake, going 19-for-26 on face offs. Last week showed us you don’t have to win the face off battle to win games, but it’s something to look out for.

All the Scoring! Rochester and New York combined for the most goals in a game this season with 33 (the next closest game was Ohio/Denver with 26). Rochester is a defense-first team, so it’ll be interesting to see which Rattlers squad we see: the one that posted 15 on the Lizards in Week 1 or the one that allowed just seven goals in Week 2. Tim Soudan is hoping it’s both.

Hit the Target: The Lizards lead the league in shots on goal, hitting the net 67 times in their first two games. That means over 75% of their shots have been on net, thanks largely to the fact they take high percentage shots and have plenty of snipers. Rochester, however, is near the bottom of the league with just 47 shots on target. In the first meeting, the total shots were 45-44 in favor of Rochester, but shots on net were 36-28 in favor of New York.

Players to Watch:

New York: You were going to be watching him anyway, but Rob Pannell is going to be the guy to watch Friday. The Cornell grad loves playing in upstate New York, as seen by his 15 points in three games against the Rattlers. He had a game-high six goals in Week 1, so watch Pannell closely (as if you weren’t already).

Rochester: Dan Hardy had four goals against the Lizards in Week 1, as New York had trouble matching up against his 6-4, 210 frame. Look for him to dominate once again on Friday night, with several others contributing to the offense.

Statistical Leaders:

New York: Rob Pannell leads the team and is second in the league with eight goals and nine points on the year. Matt Striebel and Jo-Jo Marasco each have two assists, while Max Seibald has the only game winner (which game against Rochester). Drew Adams has played every minute for New York, posting an 11.85 goals against and .571 save percentage.

Rochester: Justin Turri still leads the squad with seven points, while Dan Hardy is the leader in goals with five. Steven Boyle leads the team with 14 shots while Kevin Leveille is the only Rattler to have registered a power play goal. John Galloway’s goals against average is currently 12.50 and he has a .537 save percentage.

2013/14 Season Series:

The Rattlers won both contests last year, outscoring New York 39-28 in the two games. Rochester took the home game in Week 6 16-14 thanks to four goals by Jordan McIntosh and won the season finale off a seven-point game by now-Lizard Matt Striebel. The Lizards won the first contest of this year, 18-15, on a six-goal performance by Rob Pannell.

Fun Facts:

New York: Greg Gurenlian is the only player with a shorthanded goal this year.

Rochester: Has not split a season series with the Lizards in the club’s existence.

Heading to the game?

It’s going to be warm tomorrow night, so grab yourself a Rattlers t-shirt while you’re at the game. You can also buy the shirt online in either adult or youth and make sure to check out more swag at the MLL Shop.

Can’t make it? Then tune in to CBS Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. (EST) as the Rochester Rattlers face off against the New York Lizards at Sahlen’s Satdium in Rochester, N.Y.